


Rose Lilies

by lnaudible



Category: RWBY
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Holding Hands, Hugs, Light Angst, Minor Injuries, Sharing a Bed, Spoilers: Volume 7 (RWBY), sharing a bed as in they just lie down nothing happens ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21838672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lnaudible/pseuds/lnaudible
Summary: When Ren returns from an unprompted solo mission, Ruby confronts him and they share a heartfelt talk. They also hug and hold hands but that's not unexpected.
Relationships: Lie Ren/Ruby Rose
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Rose Lilies

**Author's Note:**

> I am sappy and I love Ren what do you want from me. Also CJ (@branwyns / tumblr), thanks for inspiring this mess!

When he left, he didn't take a lot with him. Just Stormflower and his scroll. When he came back, it was twenty six hours later, and he was tired of running. 

His welcome back wasn't warm, just everyone staring him down as he entered the dorms covered in scratches. They were worried, yes. Just enough to yell at him. 

Apparently, they already had a mission scheduled, but nobody bothered to tell him before he found one himself. He, of course, didn't bother with telling anyone about his mission either. 

Soon enough, after everyone had taken turns scolding him, he walked back into the dorms. 

He was left with silence. Intrusive silence. He raised his hands and untied his braid, watching his hair fall over his eyes. All he saw was black, so he closed his eyes and saw the same, but duller in color. 

His hand was covered in bloody scratches he had no aura for and his sleeve was torn. His lip was bleeding too. He licked it and tasted copper. 

A soft knock broke him out of his head and he spared a glance at the door, "Come in."

Their footsteps were light and slow. 

"Ren?" 

"What is it, Ruby?" he said lowly. 

"I didn't come here to pry the mission out of you. I just wanted to tell you that you can talk to me." She looked at him expectancy. 

"Why would I need to?" 

She sighed and looked at her feet. Her left hand curled into a fist, "Let's talk." 

He looked at her through his hair and shrugged, "What about?" 

"You."

He offered a sad smile and looked towards his hands in his lap. 

"What about me?"

"Just you." Ruby took his hair tie from his wrist and brushed his hair away from his face, tying it in the back haphazardly. 

It came out wonky, and a bit to the left. 

"That is the worst ponytail ever Ruby. Jaune could do a better job," he said with a chuckle and retied his hair. 

"Stop laughing at me!" she exclaimed, "My hair's never been long enough for this."

"I could teach you if you'd like." Ren smiled. She did too. 

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I could finally do Yangs hair, " she trailed off, looking at the emblem on his chest, "But that's not why I came here Ren."

Any semblance of a smile left his face and he deflated. 

"Talk then."

She walked to the window and motioned for him to do the same. He hesitated, but still stood up and joined Ruby. 

"It's not me who's going to talk. It's you. I need you to talk to me. I need to know."

Ren sighed, expecting her to say this, "Know what?" 

"Everything. Tell me what you're thinking about right now, and why. I need to know you're okay. You're still part of my team, Ren."

"I am?" Ren asked with a tilt of his head. 

"Yes Ren, you are. I know you and I know something's wrong. I just can't stand seeing you like this," Ruby spoke softly, "Please, Ren, I just want to help."

He scrunched his eyebrows and looked at his hands. He stayed silent for several minutes and Ruby was starting to look desperate. She finally turned away and breathed in deeply. 

"Ok then, if you don't wanna ta-," 

"So do I." Ren cut in quietly. 

She glanced back, "What?" 

"I just want to help." His eyes found hers, one full of clouds, the other of understanding. 

Ruby raised her hand to put it on his back, but decided against it and stood next to him again. 

"Help who?" she asked, matching his voice. 

Ren huffed and ran his hands through his hair. He had no answer. 

"Ren talk to me," Ruby said and pulled his hands towards her. 

"Everyone," he said finally, "They all need help and I cannot sit still and do nothing."

He looked sad, but his eyes were full of anger. Ruby understood. Hers were too. 

Her expression softened and she looked up at him sadly. 

She wrapped herself around his waist and she pulled him closer. She was a lot smaller, but Ren didn't mind the difference. 

Ruby was warm, radiating heat. Atlas was too cold for him. He understood now. 

He didn't hug back at first. He stared ahead of himself, looking at particularly nothing and no one, trying to keep calm. It fell apart when he felt Ruby move one of her hands to his upper back and squeeze him gently. 

His hands wound around her tiny frame and stayed there. He tried to breathe in synch with her, because it seemed like the only truth in the world right now. Ruby. Then and there. 

He exhaled, and so did she. The clouds in his head making him see black tore apart and he caught see the stars behind through window for the first time in what felt like forever. And they were beautiful. Silver and shining. 

Ruby backed away slowly, letting him pull her back in if needed. He didn't; he just looked at her softly, seeing something far more striking than the night sky had to offer. 

"I know how you feel. I feel that way too. Believe me," she spoke softer than he believed possible, holding his hands in her own, "But tearing yourself apart like this…" 

Ren sighed and walked over to his bed again. He looked at her again, this time trying to really see her. He wasn't very good at that just yet. 

"I don't know what to do Ruby. Nora and Jaune, they tell me I should not be doing this. But there must be something I can do." he spoke to the floor. 

She walked closer and squatted down in front of him. 

"Well, for starters, you could stop trying to do everything on your own. And before you look at me like that," she gestured towards him and his sour face, "just listen, ok?

"I know you. If I tell you to stay here, you'll just go on your own again. I know that I can't force you to do nothing, so I won't. But I need you to tell me when something's wrong, ok? Talk to me. When you can't take it anymore, when you can't sit still. Just tell me." 

She wanted to help. So did he. But if they couldn't talk to each other, then they would be lost. She had been lost like this before; swimming in a sea of silence, where no one knew one another and everyone wanted to. It wasn't a happy place. 

If he talked to her, she would be happy. It would be enough. 

"Sure." 

She smiled and sat next to him. There was a pleasant beat of silence and she spoke again, "So, can you teach me how to braid hair?" 

"Yes I can."

Ruby smiled softly and laid her head on his shoulder. He slouched and rested his on top. His eyes closed. 

"Does it have to be now?" he asked, almost whispering. He knew she would hear him. She would even if he stayed silent. 

"No." Her answer was just as calm, and she closed her eyes too. 

They were sitting in silence for a few minutes, just breathing, when Ren lifted his head and asked, "Do you want to lie down?" 

Ruby blinked her eyes open and nodded. She plopped herself backwards onto his bed and tugged him down with her. 

"Well, I wanted to wash my hands first but I guess not then," he said, inspecting his scratches. Ruby rolled onto her side to see. 

She hummed and took his hands again, looking at them closely. There was a small patch of singed skin and a few other small wounds. She sat up again. 

"Wait, are you down on Aura? Why didn't you tell me? We could get Jaune and-" 

"What, why? It isn't that big of a deal. It doesn't even hurt." He cut in, trying to reason with her. 

Ruby bolted from the bed and started walking towards the door. He followed. 

He caught her shoulder as she reached for the doorknob and turned her around. Her eyes were full of worry. 

"Ruby, I'm fine. I don't need the Aura right now." Ren sighed. 

"You sure?" Ruby glanced at the door. 

"Yes."

"Ok, but you're gonna talk to him tomorrow. Deal?"

Ren looked away, scrunching his nose, and nodded.

"Can we lie down now?" he asked hopefully. 

"Yeah."

His lips turned up into a goofy smile and he took her hand. His was a lot bigger and colder, wrapping her tiny hand in a cocoon of ice. She didn't let go anyway. 

She toed off her boots in front of his bed and climbed on top, nestling herself to the wall. Ren followed suit, untying his hair as he went. 

It didn't take them long to settle into a comfortable position with his hand around her waist, legs tangled, and facing each other. He closed his eyes and shuffled closer. 

"Ren?"

"Hm?" He opened one eye to look at her. 

"Do you think my hair's long enough for a braid?"

He lifted his head a tiny bit and brushed his fingers through her silky hair.

"I could try it if you'd like me to?" 

"Yeah, ok." Her eyelids fluttered close. 

Ren stayed up for a few minutes, watching her peacefully doze off before closing his tired eyes as well. He was asleep in a second.


End file.
